Turkish citizen pleads guilty in drug fraud case

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A Turkish citizen has pleaded guilty in St. Louis to smuggling misbranded and adulterated cancer treatment drugs into the United States.

The U.S. Attorney's office said Sabahaddin Akman entered the plea Tuesday in federal court. He faces up to 20 years in prison and agreed to a forfeiture payment of $150,000.

Akman is the owner and manager of a drug wholesale company in Turkey. He and a Turkish co-defendant who pleaded guilty earlier were accused of smuggling three shipments of misbranded and tainted cancer drugs from Turkey to the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield.

Prosecutors said some of the medications were shipped without the insulation required to maintain their effectiveness.

Federal investigators also said some of the vials contained mold and water but lacked any active ingredient.